In Between
by Eggage
Summary: Events that happen in between the ones in the manga.
1. Chapter 1

**Note: Very short, atrocious wording and sentence structure, not edited, not very well thought out. **

**Note: Set sometime before volume 3 of the manga. **

**Note: More chapters to follow … eventually**

-x-

**In Between**

**Curiosity**

_Because curiosity killed the cat_

-x-

Ginseikan was a well known place to the public. Its reputation was almost rivalling the most haunted spots around town – the places where kids ventured to test their courage on foggy nights. It had the façade of any regular tea house – large, uncracked windows and neat brickwork with a bell on top of the curtained door – yet no customers could be seen during the day except for those who were curious enough to peek through the windows or those who hadn't been informed of the rumours. The real customers kept at bay until the sun sunk below the horizon – until the baku woke and was ready to serve.

When the streetlamps outside were lit, so were the lamps inside the Ginseikan tea house. Yet the glow was anything but cheerful. Instead, it gave off an eerie aura, making entering the quaint building an even more frightening task. Inside, sitting at the far table next to the large, panelled window, was Hiruko, patiently, surely, waiting for his next meal to arrive.

That was what a baku did, after all.

Wait…

And wait …

…If you wait long enough, something will eventually … simply land in your lap.

_Ting_

Like now.

At the opened door, the bell still faintly ringing, stood a sickly looking man in his early twenties. His grey suit was lint free and pressed, his shoes shined and pale hair slicked back. "Hiruko," he was saying, "I need to speak to Hiruko."

The shopkeeper, Mizuki, nodded and walked the man to the back booth where Hiruko awaited. She acted like a ferryman, rowing strangers across the river – the river being the space between the counter and booths along the wall – hardly a trying or important job. But Mizuki was used to the way things went at night. She had had five years to get used to the structure, and in the past two, not much had changed. It just proved that Hiruko preferred some things to stay the same …

"What troubles you?" Hiruko addressed the man lightly, partially uncaring. He offers the man the seat opposite him as Mizuki leaves and returns with a steaming cup of coffee. She places it in the centre of the table, exactly the same distance between the two males as if inviting them both to take a sip, before standing at Hiruko's side like always.

"I've been having this awful nightmare," the man confessed, flushing, his breathing still a tad laboured. "I honestly don't know why I'm so bothered by it …"

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Hiruko suggested when the man didn't continue. "You'll feel better when you get it off your chest." Oh how caring he seemed. Yet to Hiruko, it was almost like dangling a fish in front of a starved man.

"Oh, of course, of course. But first, if I may ask," the man started, continuing as Hiruko gave a short nod, "How exactly does a baku _take _someone's nightmare? Is it a painful or lengthy procedure?"

Hiruko shook his head, tapping the decorated cane resting on the side of the table. "There's no pain involved, and it's quite instantaneous, actually. Very easy to miss." Mizuki could see him looking at her out of the corner of his eye, a playful smile on his lips as if he just told a joke. He then leant forward on his elbows, inwardly impatient, outwardly calm. "Your nightmare?"

"Yes, yes. Well, it all starts off in a room, empty except for two small tables and a vial on each table." The man paused to think of the details. "One vial, the left one, had clear liquid in it, while the right one had green. And every time I drink the green liquid…" he faltered, loosening his tie and collar. Hiruko looked at him expectantly, urging him to keep going. "… every time I drink it, I die."

Leaning back in the chair, Hiruko gave the man a blank look. "If you don't want to die in your dream, then don't drink what's in the vial."

"No, no, no," the man protested. "As concerning as the thought of me dying is, I'd much prefer to know what happens if I drink the clear liquid." He looked directly at Hiruko, his eyes shining. "Isn't it curious? No matter how much I want to drink the clear, I always pick up the green. Perhaps the clear liquid is the antidote to the green? Perhaps, instead of killing me, the clear heals me?" The man looked so excited at the prospect. "Perhaps I could be at full health again?"

"There's only one way to find out." Hiruko lifted his cane from the side of the table and pointed it at the man's head, smoke drifting from the tip and swirling around in the air. "Sleep now … leave this world behind."

And as the man slumped down into the cushioned seat, and as Hiruko disappeared from the booth in the blink of an eye, Mizuki was left alone in the teahouse with only the moonlight and the chirp of cicadas to keep her company. She sat down heavily on a stool and sighed, watching the cup of coffee forlornly. She was used to it by now.

-x-

The room, as the man described it, was empty except for the two waist-high tables and two vials. The walls were a dull grey, the floor was a chequered black and white, while the ceiling was a black abyss that didn't seem to join with the walls. The tables were a work of art in themselves, with intricate carvings in the top and legs, and the vials were decorated with a silver rim and lid. "Could you show me what happens when you drink the right one," Hiruko asked, pointing to the green vial. At the man's worried face, Hiruko elaborated. "Don't worry, you're real body won't be harmed – it's still just a dream."

The man nodded and grabbed the vial with familiarity before slowly, nervously, tipping his head back and swallowing the bright green liquid. As soon as the substance touched his lips, his breathing stopped. His eyes widened when he found he couldn't draw in his breath, dropping the vial in his hand to reach up and claw at his neck. Hiruko stood back, watching the man impassively as he eventually collapsed. His body lay still and unmoving on the ground littered with glass shards from the broken vial. Hiruko merely stepped over the man's body to retrieve the largest part of the vial and placed it back on the centre of the table. He tapped his cane on the ground lightly, and suddenly they were back to where they had started: alive; standing; and a few feet away from both tables.

The man sputtered and sucked in all the oxygen he could. "How...how'd that happen?"

Hiruko just smiled and tapped his cane knowingly. "I'm a baku, of course."

The man nodded, still a bit overwhelmed from dropping dead and coming back to life in all of two seconds. He was looking at Hiruko almost fearfully, yet in awe as well. As to be expected.

"This time," Hiruko said, pointing to the left table, "you can drink the clear liquid. I wonder what your reaction to it will be." He added in a murmur.

The man jumped forward, eagerly awaiting his chance to drink it. He had wanted to find out what its affects were, and now he could do just that. It was awfully exciting. So he unscrewed the lid a tad slower than usual, savouring the moment, and lifted it to his lips. He tipped back and swallowed, the grin on his face slipping a little when nothing happened immediately.

He turned to Hiruko questioningly. "Why—" yet his choke cut him off. The man didn't flail or attempt to stop what was happening to him, unlike before. His face went blank, his limbs seemed to fail him, and he simply went crashing to the ground like a limp doll – a puppet without its strings.

Hiruko, once again, stooped to pick up the vial from the ground, placing it on the table. When he straightened, he caught sight of another table, identical to the other two in the room. Upon the top was a vial with a shimmering, purple liquid inside, its silver rim and lid glinting in the light that had no source. Something clicked in Hiruko's head as he saw the third table with the third vial, and glanced down worriedly at the man sprawled on the floor. "Time to wake up," he muttered.

He didn't think the man would like to know his other option.

-x-

The cup of coffee was still on the table when the man woke up, no longer steaming. The man wondered how long he had been in his nightmare; it didn't seem like long at all …

"Welcome back," Mizuki was saying, being the kind host she's supposed to be. "I'll reheat the coffee for you."

The man nodded dumbly, lifting his head up from the table. What a weird experience he had just had. Extraordinary.

"When you drank the clear liquid, you died."

The man looked up to see Hiruko standing, looking down on him. "That isn't possible," the man's voice was almost slurred and his gaze unfocussed. "It was supposed to heal me. I know it was."

Hiruko shook his head. "You died." He leant his cane against the side of the table and took a step forward. "There was another table, next to the one with the clear liquid," he looked down to see if the man knew what he was talking about. "One with a vial of purple liquid."

The man grabbed the sides of his head, shaking furiously. "I didn't want to know that. It was supposed to heal me! It was! Heal!" A sudden light of understanding appeared in his eyes and he stood up abruptly, clutching onto Hiruko's coat. "Make it heal me!" He said desperately, hopefully, and clinging on even tighter.

"I can't change the physical contents of your dream." Hiruko explained, prying the man's hands off his shoulders. "That's one thing I can't do."

A frown appeared on the man's face, and after pushing Hiruko back into the booth, he suddenly ran off towards the exit, exclaiming in a small fit of anger "Then what good are you?!"

Hiruko was left, stunned, slumped against the side of the booth. He heard the faint bell ring as the man left the teahouse and heard the light footsteps of Mizuki returning with the coffee.

"I've heated up the—Hiruko?" She turned her head in search of the man; even though she must've heard the bell ring and door slam. "He left, didn't he?" As Hiruko nodded, she sighed and sat down on the opposite side of the booth, placing the coffee in the centre of the table again. "The customers these days don't like what they see."

"He's going to die."

Mizuki looked up, startled. "How? I mean, yes—he looked sick, but he couldn't—he's not really going to die, is he?"

Hiruko relayed what the dream contained. The two tables, the vials, the way the man dropped to ground on both occasions. "And when I stood back up, there was another table, exactly the same as the other two. Except this one had a vial full of purple liquid."

The shopkeeper frowned, trying to put the pieces together. "What does that mean?"

Grabbing his cane from the side of the table, Hiruko said, "I have a feeling that no matter which vial he drinks from, he will always die. No matter how many times he wishes for his fate to differ, no matter how many tables and vials appear before him, the result will ultimately be the same every single time." Hiruko then grabbed the sphere shaped dream from his cane and popped it in his mouth with a satisfied smirk. "Dreams like these are always so tasty." He then stood up, swung his ever present suitcase over his shoulder and made his way up the stairs.

Mizuki sighed, picking up the untouched cup of coffee and moving to pour it down the sink. She was used to it by now.

-x-


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: Very short, not edited, not very well thought out. **

**Note: Set sometime between volumes 3 and 5 of the manga. **

**Note: … I am the world's worst updater … but there are more chapters to come. **

-x-

**In Between**

**Form**

_Because they have feelings too_

-x-

"England!" Hifumi almost shouted, his eyes going wide. "Really?"

The cleaner nodded, clutching his broom tightly. "The old man finally decided to retire. It's always been his wish to go abroad."

"Yeah." Hifumi rubbed his chin, looking around the gardens of his estate. Large trees that had spread their roots for hundreds of years, and pretty, delicate flowers that had only been planted recently decorated the expanse of yard. "It's sure going to be different without him around. I don't know how my Dad thinks he's going to manage the gardens now that his gardener has retired …"

Miya, the cleaner, chuckled and began sweeping the floors where he had left off. "The young master will just have to do it for him," he hinted, winking.

Hifumi froze, and then guffawed while clapping Miya's back with zest. "Haha—me? Do gardening—there's no way I—Dad wouldn't—Oh, Miya, you're too funny!"

-x-

If Mizuki had been wondering why Hifumi had barged into Ginseikan at noon and dragged both her and Hiruko to his family's estate, she wasn't wondering anymore. She paused as Hifumi made his request, and had to repeat him to confirm what she had just thought she heard. "You want us to do your gardening?"

Hifumi rocked back on his heels, looking sheepish. "Well, you see, the gardener retired recently…"

"Can't you just do it yourself?" Hiruko said with a yawn, wiping a small tear from his eye. Hifumi, with all his barging and shouting and utter nonsense, had woken him up at the most _ungodly _hour of the day. So inconsiderate.

"Of course, I can midget!" He directed at Hiruko. Then turning to Mizuki, his voice turning sugary, "But I thought we could make a day out of it. You know, sunshine, fresh air – it's better than being cooped up with the midget all day."

"I heard that." Hiruko said threateningly, but Hifumi just waved him off, focusing on Mizuki instead. "How about it?"

Mizuki uncomfortably leant back against the estate gate as Hifumi leant forward eagerly, grin spreading ear to ear. "Uhh—well…"

"Hey." Hiruko interrupted, tapping his cane on the metal bars in the gate, pointing it at something along the path. "Who's that?"

As the couple turned towards the direction Hiruko had pointed, the man doing his best to inconspicuously peer in quickly turned around and fled with a squawk of surprise. Hifumi wasted no time to charge forward, waving his arms about over his head as if it would gain the fleeing man's attention. "Hey! Get back here! What do you think you were doing?!"

Yet the man continued to run, his feet slipping in his sandals and hat nearly blowing off his head. Hifumi continued to shout, his eyes glinting malevolently as he gained distance on the spying man. Just as Hifumi reached out to snatch his sleeve, the man sharply darted around the corner and disappeared from sight, leaving Hifumi dumbfounded and alone in the middle of the bridge over the small creek.

Mizuki and Hiruko came jogging up beside him, taking refuge in the shade of the large maple tree close by. "What happened to the man?" Mizuki asked, slightly out of breath.

Hifumi garbled unintelligently for a moment before regaining his composure. "I—I decided to let him go!" He scratched the back of his neck uncertainly, contradicting his confident mien. "I mean, he was only looking through the gate – it wasn't as if he was trespassing on my property, right?"

Mizuki hesitantly nodded, confused by Hifumi's sudden change in mind.

"Hey, Mizuki, just ignore that weird geezer," Hifumi stated, waving a hand around the air. His mood brightened considerably when his next thought dawned. "How 'bout we go for ice cream instead?"

She simply chuckled and nodded, moving to walk beside him.

Hiruko stayed behind, glancing at the maple tree from the other side of the gate. From its position, Hiruko could tell it was stood on the bank of the creek that ran through a corner of Hifumi's family estate. Wind blew and leaves fluttered to the ground while he continued to watch the tree with an odd expression on his face. As the wind died down, Hiruko turned on his heel to follow the two who left before him.

He would not tell them of his suspicions just yet…

-x-

"Ah~" Hifumi sighed, collapsing theatrically on one of the chairs in Ginseikan. "That ice cream really hit the spot." He rubbed his belly to reinforce his statement.

Mizuki nodded and immediately went about cleaning the tables – a habit too ingrained into her to try stopping. Hiruko took his usual seat by the window, his gaze settling over the stained glass panels in the top section.

_Ting_

The relaxed atmosphere disappeared as Hifumi shot from his seat as he looked at the person who had just stepped past the threshold.

"You!" He shouted, pointing his finger and wondering whether to chase him off again. "What are you doing here?!"

The man that had been peering through the gates, now devoid of his hat, bowed slowly and spoke articulately. "I was told that the baku would be able to assist me in a few troubling problems of mine."

From his seat in the corner, Hiruko nodded, picking up his cane with little thought. "It all depends on what these problems of yours entail." He motioned for the man to sit. "Would you be willing to describe what it is that troubles you?"

The man nodded, taking the offered seat. "Certainly."

Hiruko took no notice of Mizuki as she placed the single cup of coffee in the centre of the table. "Don't hold back."

"These past few days, I've been wracked by guilt – guilt so strong that I sometimes have trouble sleeping." The man paused, uncomfortably altering his position in his seat. "I get the feeling sometimes, that he's gone missing—"

"—If you're looking for a missing person … we don't deal with that sort of stuff. That's what the police are for." Hifumi interrupted.

"No, no," Hiruko said, giving Hifumi a look of annoyance. "We do deal with those types of things." He faced the man once again. "Sorry for the interruption, please continue."

The man flushed at his mistake. "Well, as I said, I get this feeling that someone has gone missing. I – I don't have any idea who it is, only that they're not where they're supposed to be."

Hiruko nodded, lifting his cane casually. "I hope you don't mind if I have a look."

The man simply lowered his head and closed his eyes, surrendering to the forced sleep.

-x-

Hiruko found himself looking up at the large maple tree for the second time that day. This time, however, he was on the other side of the gate. He could see the curve of the small creek and the maple tree's roots which had grown out of the sloped bank and were partially dipped in the water.

He recognized the flower beds – the very same ones in the Hifumi estate. But instead of brightly coloured petals and attractive blooms, all he saw was a washed out grey that had covered the blueness of the sky, the lushness of the grass, and the colours of the flowers. It made everything a dull, monochromatic wasteland that, despite its prettiness, did nothing to satisfy.

"_He's still … he's still hanging on."_

The man's voice rung out, though not from a particular source. It simply echoed in the air as if one was in the mountains – faint and barely there, but just strong enough to be aware of it.

Hiruko glanced at the maple tree again – at its wiry branches and fragile leaves that held no colour at all – and had to smother a triumphant grin. His suspicions had been confirmed. He stepped over a particularly twisted knot of roots to get closer the trunk. "I though you said he was missing – how can he still be here if he's gone?"

"_But … but he's still hanging on."_

From the corner of his eye, Hiruko spotted something that definitely hadn't been present a few seconds ago. In the middle of the twisted knot of roots – where he had just stepped over – was a bare foot connected to a thin, floating body that was face down in the creek. The skin, unlike the rest of the surroundings, was in full colour. Its colouring did nothing but confirm that the person was indeed dead, and the mottled yellow-grey hinted at the decay that was starting to occur.

Hiruko raised his cane – ignoring the desperate cries of the man (_"He's still hanging on! He's still hanging on!"_) – and glanced down pitifully at the body near his feet.

"Time to wake up."

-x-

The man wasn't there upon his return. Mizuki stood by the counter, her eyes wide, coffee threatening to spill from the angle she held the cup, and Hifumi's knuckles had turned white from his grip on the back of the chair. "He – He just disappeared."

Hiruko nodded, setting his cane down on the edge of the table. "He wasn't human," he explained simply. "He had no reason to stay here." They had experienced these things before – customers that weren't human beings - surely they had become somewhat accustomed to them by now.

"What happened?" Hifumi asked, breaking the silence.

Hiruko leant back, fiddling with the round nightmare in his fingers before starting. "He killed someone. Unintentionally, of course."

He continued to explain how the person had gotten caught in the tangle of roots, and unable to move, had drowned in the shallow creek. He turned to Hifumi, holding up the little globe in his fingers to show its contents. "You may want to check your garden for unwanted things," he hinted, before swallowing the nightmare in one gulp.

Hifumi's face drained of colour as he peered into the nightmare. Even as Hiruko ate it with a satisfied smile on his face, he couldn't help but remember the body lying motionless in the creek.

"…So he didn't make it to England, then…"

-x-


End file.
